I fully agree with the sentiments of Aaron Rodgers. The Packers should be celebrating today after dismantling the Seahawks, but instead coached and stupided their way out of the game. This should hurt for a long, long time.
First, Coach Mike McCarthy should fire the man who calls the plays for the Packer offense. I have said this for years and will continue to stress this point until someone else, anyone else, takes over the offense. I also blame Rodgers for not changing the plays when they were obviously the wrong call for the wrong time in the game.
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| Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images |
I have two problems (actually I have more, but two big ones and I've had it for a long time) with McCarthy's play calling. First, in the fourth quarter when a first down would have sealed the win when the Packers were leading 19-7 after the strange sit down by Morgan Burnett I said and I quote, "They will run the ball three times and punt." And run and punt they did. I hated to be right, but if I could have gotten someone to bet with me I could have set up my retirement account. No one, but a Packerbacker who has watched his strange play calling over the years, would have said he would take the ball out of the best quarterback in the game and give up. But he does this every time.
Those four plays are a big part of McCarthy's play book for that time of the game and circumstances during his time as coach. If that wasn't bad enough it was the first two run calls that he chose that added insult to injury. Instead of giving Eddie Lacy a chance of gaining yards and a first down by going up the middle he decides to off-tackle left. I would like to challenge anybody to show me when that play has worked and hasn't been stopped for a loss.
1st and 10 at the Packer 43: Lacy left tackle and predictably -4 yards. 2nd and 14 at the Packer 39: Lacy left tackle and predictably -2 yards. 3rd and 16 at the Packer 37: Finally Lacy up the middle, but +2 yards. Let's stop here for a minute. The Seahawks hadn't been pressuring Rodgers all day and in McCarthy's over-coaching mind he figures they would be teeing off on him on 3rd and 16. Maybe right, but the offensive line has played well all day. Let them shine, but instead to give up and punt and not put the ball in the hands of the league MVP is the height of incompetence. He should have been passing on 1st and 2nd down or running up the middle to give them a reasonable 3rd down distance. But once again I was right and I have been right about this situation 99 out of a 100 times over the years. I hate it when I'm right about McCarthy's play calling.
Game over if the Packers gain one or two first downs, but McCarthy won't allow it. I put the blame on this game squarely on McCarthy's shoulders. FIRE HIS ASS RIGHT NOW from calling any more plays the rest of his tenure. My heart can't take any more of this.
Let me retrack a bit. Morgan Burnett, "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING???????????" No. 1, great play should have sealed the win, but you must of had a brain fart. First, you could have run some more time off the clock and second, you could have scored. If what he was thinking was he could have been hit and fumbled then he should have handed off to Ha-Ha. Don't they teach you how to hold onto the ball? Strangest play I've ever seen. I jumped out of my chair and yelled, "WHAT THEY HELL ARE YOU DOING!!!!!!!!"
Now back to play calling No. 2. Richard Sherman and his one arm parade. On the first play of the fourth quarter he gets hurt on James Starks 32-yard run, but never leaves the game, but is in severe pain. It seems the Packers brain trust never noticed he was down to one arm, which compromised his tackling and intercepting ability. The rest of that series saw a two runs to the left, a pass up the middle, another run to the left and then a deep pass to Starks underneath Sherman down the right sideline and an incomplete pass left that set up Mason Crosby's field goal. Never went after Sherman. Another act of incompetence.
Next series, James Starks right tackle, Starks up middle and short pas underneath Sherman to Andrew Quarless. Didn't target him again. Next series came after the Burnett interception and once again didn't target him on the three-and-out. The Packer defense then folds and the Seahawks drive 69 yards on seven plays using just 1:46 to close the score to 19-14.
Then the on-sides kick and the Seahawks drive 50 yards on four plays using just 44 seconds to take the lead. The two-point conversion was another brain fart, but this time it was Clinton-Dix who went for the man instead of just knocking the ball down. It must have rubbed off from being so close to Burnett.
More on the on-sides kick. Brandon Bostic was there to block and right behind him was Jordy Nelson ready to catch the ball and seal the win. Total incompetence on Coach Slocum's part for not telling him to keep his hands (which actually he did) and head off the damn ball.
At this point with all the mistakes and bad playing calling knocking down the two-pointer would have still given the Packers the game. Since finally Rodgers was allowed to be the MVP quarterback he is and carry the team to what would have been the winning field goal.
Just to finish the Sherman point. The game-tying drive plays were short pass left (not at Sherman), short pass middle (not at Sherman), Rodgers scramble right (finally near Sherman), short pass right (underneath Sherman), and short pass - incomplete - right (underneath Sherman). They kick the field goal and send the game into overtime.
Lets, see Sherman gets hurt on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Packers run 18 plays from scrimmage and only one (the scramble by Rodgers) is anywhere near Sherman. The absolute height of incompetence.
Now another observation. Where was Clay Matthews on the series that the Seahawks took the lead. He was on the sidelines, but apparently he was just resting because he came out for the overtime. WHAT WAS UP WITH THAT? Our best defensive player is on the sidelines with the game on the line. Incompetence.
Finally, let me address the continuing play of A.J. Hawk. The defense started to play better at mid-season when Hawk was replaced in the starting lineup by Matthews in the middle after the embarrassing loss to the Saints. Over the course the last eight games Hawk has managed to get back into the lineup and once again and continuously be undistinguished in his play. The one glaring play was the fake field goal where Hawk decided to take a run at the Jon Ryan when he was already being covered. So he ended up not hitting Ryan and not covering Gilliam (and if you notice he made that decision because he looked at Gilliam before letting him go). Imcompetence on Hawk's part and on Dom Capers for even playing him. When are they finally going to drive a stake into his heart and get him out of my misery. I have other thoughts on Hawk, but that will wait for another time.
This loss hurts more because we should have won. I felt the Packers had no chance to beat the Seahawks and would have accepted a normal loss, but they came to play and dominated the game. But for faulty play calling (again and again and again) and the defense collapsing when it counted the most we are done. This hurts because we SHOULD have won and blew it. We missed a chance at a rematch of our first SUPER BOWL after the Wilderness Years. It would have be glorious.
To be fair, great game by Mason Crosby on five-for-five field goals. Great game by Randall Cobb for even playing after being in the hospital for three hours Saturday night. Great game by the offensive line and a good game by Aaron Rodgers. Too bad McCarthy didn't put the game in the line and Rodgers hands when it would have sealed the deal. Once again incompetence.
I hurt too much to continue. Morgan Burnett, Mike McCarthy, Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, Brandon Bostic and Clay Matthews. SHAME ON YOU ALL.
So to close I will quote the great Father Mulcahy, "I'M ACRIMONIOUS!!!!" as I break my toe kicking the desk.
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